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Struggling With Writing

If you're going to be a writer, then you are going to suffer the pain of lost inspiration or interruption of flow. Here is another suggestion I think might work for most of us poor word slaves: keep a fear journal. It can be plain paper, or a separate word document, but allow yourself to have a place to write down all your fears, so that you can face them. What is keeping you from writing? What are you avoiding? Have you run out of ideas, or are you just burnt out and need to refuel? I know I get really sick of myself; I'm a defeatist and have always come down hard on everything I do. Others say they love it, but I start rejecting it like a mother bird with a overactive sense of smell. I had to sit down and write some things out this morning in order to come here and write this, because my neurotic self had gotten the best of me and halted all simple ability to just produce. If you face the fear, you can move forward.

Writing is about being in love with your project. It, in the best stages, is literally like having a hot and heavy love affair with the characters, the words, the setting. The idea is to work past all fears and just allow yourself to enjoy the act, of, erm . . . it. Write out those fears so that you can get to the bliss. It's okay to let go and enjoy writing, it really is. And it's okay, to be proud of your work.

When will it become easy to write? Probably never. Fun, yes. Rewarding, yes. Easy, no. It'll never be easy. But then, neither is getting up every morning, or working, or being a parent, or anything else we do as humans. Just remember that the basic element of you being able to write, is you being able to find simple joy in what you are doing. Find the core desire--the elemental reason for doing what you do--and then do it without regret. Every time you write, you are a success because each session brings you closer to greatness in your craft. No one can call you a terrible writer because you are always evolving and learning. The only failure is the failure to try.

Comments

Hi Amy,I just can't began to say... What an inspiration you are to me, the blog sphere. This happens all the time to me, I self sabatage myself. I don't mean to, but I do. What a circle. Thank you for addressing this in the most enduring way.I love Humble Pie... 30days in the hole!. OhI didn't mean to follow you twice. How can I remove the second one without removing meall together from your blog?